I Realized It Was an Academy Game After 10 Years

“Karina!”

What in the world is happening?

An ambush? All of a sudden?

As soon as I heard the news, I ran with Millia to the infirmary located inside the temple.

In front of Karina’s room sat Renny, with her head deeply bowed.

“Renny. What on earth happened?”

“Damn it… Why did this have to happen while I was briefly away on business with the Archbishop… completely screwed.”

“What were the other guards doing? Wasn’t there a guard nearby?”

If I remember correctly, there should have been quite a few priests and guards surrounding the saint. They shot an arrow into Karina’s back through that security? There should have been plenty of meat shields available!

“…The guard was an assassin. He took poison and killed himself before we could trace his backup… Damn it. Some of the priests are missing; I wonder if they were spies.”

With an expression that looked like she’d tear the assassin to shreds right in front of her, Renny looked at me and said.

“So, Karina is currently refusing visitors. Right now, we can trust very few people. All the priests and guards are being investigated… Ugh. Even the ones investigating can’t be trusted at this rate.”

A spy came out from inside. I don’t think I sensed anything strange.

“They’re all locked up. Since they couldn’t protect the saint… there’s no way they’ll come out unharmed.”

In response to my question, Renny gritted her teeth. Her voice, stifled with anger, seemed directed at herself, or perhaps at the assassin. Whatever the case, I knew it was best not to provoke her right now.

I was equally bewildered by the situation; this was beyond my expectations.

Was there something like this in the original story?

While Karina gets targeted a lot in the main story and is often attacked as a top priority, hadn’t she even entered the Academy yet? How could this happen already?

No, rather, is it because she hasn’t entered the Academy that she’s being targeted?

Despite everything, the Academy is the most prestigious in the continent, so security should be tight. If I remember correctly, I think it was mentioned in the original that they increased security after the saint enrolled.

“What’s her condition?”

“The arrow has been removed, but… there was a curse on the arrowhead.”

“A curse?!”

“Millia. Shh.”

It’s not good to draw attention. I gestured with my finger to my lips, telling Millia to be quiet, and she covered her mouth with her palm.

Yes, keep quiet like that.

If we make a racket, we’ll draw attention.

“A curse…”

If the game’s setting is 100% identical here, the ones who can cast curses are quite limited.

Dark wizards, necromancers, cult priests.

Which one could it be?

First, I’m excluding dark wizards. Those guys are too small in numbers to dare touch the saint. Touching the saint would be equivalent to making enemies of everyone who believes in Kalon Church. If they had the guts to turn everyone from royalty to the beggars on the street into enemies, then they wouldn’t have been able to hide for so long.

Necromancers are similarly minuscule.

So, by elimination, it’s down to cults.

I briefly cast my gaze to the ceiling as I tried to recall the memories I had about cults. They are the enemies that appear around the mid-game. They use curses, self-destruct attacks, and bizarre magic. But did they start acting in the early game…?

Why does it feel like the story I know is gradually derailing?

If this continues…

“…Johann.”

Renny’s voice called me in a low tone, and I turned to look at her. Her eyes, when they met mine, seemed like they were about to ignite. Renny glanced around and quietly spoke.

“…I need your help.”

“…You mean to investigate the backup?”

Renny nodded quietly.

“I have to guard the infirmary, so I can’t move. I need someone I can trust to handle it… and that’s you. Please. The scum that ambushed Karina… get information on them for me. If you find anything… tell me first.”

“Got it.”

There’s no reason to refuse. I had no intention of sitting idle while someone I knew was attacked. This whole incident is too unsettling. An ambush before we even get to the Academy. If I don’t properly resolve this now, I’ll probably get ambushed on the way to the Academy too.

If I can uproot them, I will; if not, I at least need to take measures to ensure a safe trip to the Academy.

No matter what the ending is, Karina must survive, so I have to take it upon myself.

“I’ll help too!”

“…You should rest.”

I appreciate the sentiment behind wanting to help, but it wouldn’t be very effective, so it’s better if she stays behind.

“I can help too!”

“How exactly can you help?”

“Uh… well… I can decapitate things…”

“If you get caught, that’ll make things even more troublesome. Just wait quietly in the temple.”

It would definitely make things messier if a fight broke out.

“Renny. Do you have any information you can share? It’s too sparse to investigate from scratch.”

“Take this. I couldn’t investigate deeply because of the time crunch, but there’s some general information written down.”

I took the small notebook Renny handed me. When I opened it, the rough scrawl on about three pages was held precariously together. Reading it can wait until later. As they say, lingering here just risks us getting noticed unnecessarily.

“Then keep a close eye here. I’ll look into the shadowy figures.”

“…I trust your abilities, so I expect good results. And take this too.”

I caught the item Renny threw at me.

…What is this metal plate with a sun emblem?

“It’s a token of being a guest of Kalon Church. If priests or guards give you suspicious looks, just show them that. It should at least lessen their suspicion.”

That’s quite the useful item.

I shoved the token into my pouch.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I need to make preparations for tracking.”

—————————

They say that criminals often return to the scene… but the scene was completely controlled by guards, making it inaccessible.

I wanted to investigate the square where Karina had preached, but as an outsider, I couldn’t possibly get past the priests firmly blocking the entrance. In the end, I could only investigate the area around the square.

“Renny definitely mentioned there were missing people.”

Where could they have gone? Unless they all committed suicide, they must have fled somewhere.

I heard that the moment the saint was attacked, all exits of the city were thoroughly sealed, so it wouldn’t have been an ordinary route. Hiding in a shaded alley, I unfolded the notebook Renny had given me.

A drawing showing the positions of the guards and priests during the time Karina preached. And the positions of those disguised as guards. Possible escape routes, etc. Despite the short time, quite a bit of useful information was recorded, making the investigation significantly easier.

“First, let’s follow the escape routes.”

I roamed around the square according to the escape routes Renny had noted. I got caught four times. Without the token from Renny, I might have been waiting alongside the captured priests right now.

Do I really look that suspicious?

“…Alright. Let’s finish checking.”

By the time I had gone through all the routes, the streets began to be stained crimson.

I scratched my head in the middle of the road, having gained nothing. I had to get some results from coming out here, but I had nothing solid.

Inquiry investigation didn’t even get a shot.

If I walked around asking questions with a blatantly suspicious manner, I’d surely be branded as a weirdo. Having barely slipped as a guest of Kalon Church, getting caught now would mean I could be detained even if I showed the token.

…Sigh.

If gathering information was easy, I could find a secret passage or something… huh?

Suddenly struck by inspiration, I looked down at the ground.

…There might really be a secret passage!

I quietly started moving toward the river that cuts across the middle of the city. There must be sewage facilities somewhere in this city. I realized it while using the toilets here repeatedly. I heard they gather waste and process it magically, so wouldn’t there be secret passages somewhere in those sewage systems?

It’d be rare for anyone to venture into the sewage, so it wouldn’t draw attention, and given that this city must have a secret passage, the sewage would be the most likely spot.

…Though I’m concerned about not knowing the precise geography. For now, let’s find the sewer.

Thus, searching through the city until the moon rose, I finally found a ladder leading down into the sewer. It was hidden in one corner of a somewhat shabby area that seemed like a slum. There might be other paths, but for now, this is the only one I found. A horrible stench wafted up from the ladder, so this must be the answer.

I quickly climbed down the ladder.

Fortunately, just as I predicted, beneath the ladder was indeed the sewage system. The yellow water glistening against the torch on the wall stirred up a primal sense of disgust. I turned my eyes from the yellow river and removed one of the torches. If I had night vision like a cat, I wouldn’t need a source of light, but I’m human.

Since I lack such talent, I had to carry a torch.

“…I guess I should forget about eating for a while.”

It smells like it could corrode my nose.

I took a cloth I bought a few days ago from my bag and wrapped it around my face like a mask. I didn’t expect a mere cloth to ward off such putrid air, but it was still better than doing nothing.

Then, let’s start moving.

I pulled out the small shovel I shortened and extended its length to that of a short sword. The sewage paths aren’t wide, so this should do.

I walked through the sewer endlessly.

The sewer was complicated like a maze. It wasn’t just forks; there were trident paths. Even quads appeared regularly. Time and time again, I hit dead ends while sketching a map in my notebook.

In general, it would make sense to ask for help in this situation, but there’s no guarantee the scoundrels responsible would still be around tomorrow. I suspected they’d try to flee quickly before being caught. Generally, those with dirty pasts are quick to escape like rats.

So, if I don’t find them now, my chances of missing them would rise exponentially.

Therefore, I don’t have time to be leisurely.

I wondered how long I had been lost in this unexpected maze. As the flame on the torch began to wane, I spotted something peculiar.

A priest’s robe of Kalon Church, caught on an outcropping, unable to get swept away.

It’s hard to distinguish the color soaked in filth, but I’ve seen that outfit enough times over the past week. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize it.

I finally confirmed my suspicion was correct.

“I found it faster than I expected.”

To be honest, I thought the odds would be low for my rough deduction.

I began to track the water flow upstream.

If I follow it, I should find other clues.

If I get lucky, I might even encounter someone.

Now’s the time to merge with the darkness.

I threw the torch into the river, extinguishing it and lifting my heels.

Like a thief, I softly stepped with only my toes, grasping the shovel with both hands. Just in case, ready to smash some heads in.

About ten minutes later, I reached a dead end.

“…Is there a secret passage?”

I promptly knocked on the wall with the back of my hand.

Unfortunately, the sound was dull rather than echoing, indicating that the clothing must have passed through an opening beneath. I had to turn back to search for another path.

But I didn’t need to do that.

For the simple reason that…

I could create a path with my skill.

“Dismantle.”

I forced the way open by breaking the stone blocks. After removing about ten blocks, I created an opening just wide enough for a person to pass through, emerging on the other side.

I felt the flow of wind.

Is there an exit nearby?

Covering the opening I made with the stone blocks, I walked in the direction the wind was blowing. If I keep going like this, something should come up. It’s a shallow guess, but sometimes such assumptions hit the mark. I reached a point where the stone wall broke. And nearby, I could hear voices.

“…it’s the god.”

“…indeed. But since we placed a curse, they won’t make it to the Academy…”

“Still… we have to…”

“…it was. Next time… maybe…”

The distance was quite far, making it hard to catch all the words. Just hearing a few snippets was enough for me to suspect they were the culprits.

I slowly started to close the distance, bit by bit.

Enemies in numbers, and I am alone.

Moreover, I have the added difficulty of needing to capture them alive.

It’s quite a hassle.

But still, I have to do what needs to be done.

I can’t let the ones who did this to Karina get away.

I stealthily merged with the night, approaching within a distance where I could semi-make out the enemies.

There are three of them.

Their clothes appear ordinary enough, but from their conversation, it’s clear they are indeed the ones who attacked Karina.

I’ll neutralize them as swiftly as possible.

Quietly, I planted the shovel into the ground and activated the skill.

“Crafting.”

“Ahhh!”

Three screams echoed, shattering the dark forest.

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